Web Resources

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Chapter 9: Graphics and Visual Information

The following Web sites provide free, downloadable graphics, wallpaper, and photos for use on your own Web site. (Some also provide commercially available graphics, so be sure to note where you are in the site before you start downloading.) These sites are only a sampling of the range of clip art graphics available to Web designers:

Snap-Shot Wallpaper
Wizzard: Galleries
Classic Clips Clip Art
Web Page Design for Designers (WPDFD): Graphics and Palettes
WPDFD's page on graphics and palettes raises issues about how and when to use graphics in Web design. It includes a detailed discussion of how computer technology complicates the use of graphics, and tips on how to use graphics effectively.
Lynda Weinman's lynda.com
New Web designers often fail to recognize that the colors that look good on their computer screens may not look good on others' screens. Weinman offers a discussion of this issue, as well as a downloadable color palette of Web-safe colors with the RGB (red-green-blue) values that are helpful for creating graphics in graphics programs. Also look at the corresponding hexadecimal values, which you need for creating Web graphics. (Visit the Files section of this site to download these palettes.)
Working with Graphics and Tables
The Writing Center at Colorado State University has created this helpful guide to working with tables, figures, and illustrations in documents.
The Work of Edward Tufte and Graphics Press
This Web site describes the books, courses, and artwork of Edward Tufte, an expert in the field of information design. It offers a collection of writings and book reviews by Tufte; a moderated forum in which Tufte answers questions dealing with information design; and articles written about Tufte and his work. The "Graphic of the Day" feature, in which Tufte analyzes and discusses graphics from various publications, is especially interesting and educational.
Incorporating Graphics in Your WWW Pages
This online course from Larry Gales at the University of Washington introduces students to the basic concepts involved in creating and using graphics for the Web. Of particular interest is the section titled "Graphics and Web Design Based on Edward Tufte's Principles." This part of the site includes a useful outline of Edward Tufte's work that helps to explain some important graphic design concepts.

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